


The Alaskan Journey: Sockeye Salmon

by HQ_Wingster, silencedmockingjay



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Adventure, Alaska, Alternate Universe - Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Documentation, Fish out of Water, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Inspired by Real Events, Nature, Video Cameras
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 16:56:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11925201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HQ_Wingster/pseuds/HQ_Wingster, https://archiveofourown.org/users/silencedmockingjay/pseuds/silencedmockingjay
Summary: The thrilling saga of a documentary-crew as they embark across the Alaskan Frontier for the allusive Sockeye Salmon.





	The Alaskan Journey: Sockeye Salmon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [silencedmockingjay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/silencedmockingjay/gifts).



> So...Noc and I had some fun with this story idea.
> 
>  
> 
> I think I'm better at writing "nature-documentary" fanfics than anything serious.  
> I should write with more animal characters~

In the Alaskan Frontier, there were two gods that overlooked the land:  _ the mountains and the deep blue.  _ A crystallized-river cut between a great expanse as two mountains sloped down from Nature’s rainmaker. Clouds umbrellaed the rugged terrain below, but the overarching trees and undergrowth served as the perfect backdrop for this Alaskan Adventure.

Only an eerie cry from a falcon pierced the veil, fading into the background with a simple flutter of wings.

Only the morning fog hovered over the surface of the lake as JJ stepped to the edge of the untamed frontier and looked out.

The swivel of his neck, like an owl emerged from its roost amongst the red oaks. A curve of his explorer’s hat, the fog rising from his lips when he tucked-in his collar. Totally alone but not alone,  _ at the same time, _ when Nature stared back at him.

Somewhere beyond the haze of the crooked furs and towering giants, the waters up ahead were the centre stage for a final act of  _ true love.  _ A bond,  _ an instinct,  _ that drove thousands up treacherous miles. Year after year.

JJ bowed his head in due respect.

This was the final chapter to a truly magnificent animal:  _ the Sockeye Salmon. _

Underneath the water’s edge, a school of green and red zoomed and zipped amongst the ripples. Slapping their fins across a watery, fish soup. Having defied all odds in a perpetual survival, a single instinct drove last year’s birthing patch back to the same nursery that inked their first chapter amongst the weeds and tumbling rocks below.

Even when JJ left the shoreline and felt the crumbling backbone of Alaska underneath his shoes, he felt the hunger,  _ the drive,  _ of what it felt to be back at home. And with his trusty crew-- _ consisting of Leo and Guanghong-- _ they weren’t going to be the first to capture the  _ Great Salmon Migration. _

They didn’t have to for an adventure of a lifetime. Added with the icy rains, blustring winds, and freezing waters that made some things shrivel up like prunes. But all in all, the three weren’t going to trade this for anything, and it was all going to be recorded behind high-encompassing lens because no story deserved to be untold because everything had a beginning, middle, and end.

After packing up their camp, Leo zoomed in on the terrain for the day’s adventure. Captured the wicked furs and mosses that clung to rustic trees, and of the broad leaves that poked out like a thumb compared to everything else. Guanghong snapped some quick shots of the mountains, of the rolling fog that stopped before a ledge before rising up for a torrential downpour. They needed to move.  _ Fast. _

Gear packed and with a map, JJ led his men through the backwash of Alaska as the chill dug into their bones. Incidentally, there were bones along the trip. It wasn’t a Human bone or a chicken bone, but there was  _ definitely  _ a bone hung on a rippling stream when they waddled over. A fresh bone, stripped of meat and revered as a relic,  _ a warning for all that passed. _

Leo mumbled a quick prayer as he helped Guanghong pass over, and JJ took the sign as a worth-noted message.

_ They weren’t alone. _

But when they reached to the edge of the frontier and found a river,  _ due coursed to where the salmon were heading, _ they managed to drop their guards. Strapped their backpacks, equipment, and gear onto kayaks that waited for them. Tied down to the surrounding rocks before the rapids could carry them away.

JJ mounted a red one, secured a GoPro to the front of his vessel. Fingers fumbled in the cold, but he tied a good knot to keep his GoPro secured before wading into the water to row out.

Zips:  _ zips of life-jackets, zips from backpacks, zips from velcro that held everything together.  _ Leo and Guanghong soon joined JJ. Leo focused on rowing while Guanghong shot the candid footage for their documentary.

Everything was about as wild as it could get in a single breath of exploration.

The two kayaks sliced across the lake. JJ paddled fast, but he kept a good distance between him and Leo. Just in case someone fell. Just in case something went terribly wrong.

Nothing should go wrong, but there was always that possibility when it was just the three of them in a place where no Human had trekked before. Not in years during the  _ Great Salmon Migration. _

It began to rain. A light downpour for now, but the documentary team had to reach to their destination fast. The weather was turning, like a witch’s cauldron as she dashed chilling winds as a spice.

Guanghong clung to the kayak for support, fingers buried deep into his gloves as he kept his hands steady. Leo counted his breaths, a steady guide when he matched JJ’s pace. JJ couldn’t help but chatter. His teeth did all the talking, and even a full-fledged, Canadian boy had to submit to an untamed backyard once in awhile. Calling in truce to the weather gods above before slowing down to conserve his strength for the hike up ahead.

There was no turning back. Even when their lungs gave out because of the chill, or the itch hitched in the back of their throats.

The wind howled in their ears. Numbing them until they were rubbed red. A formidable structure of mountains stared down at the mortals, but it grew more friendly as the trio approached the shore with beating hearts and shivering toes.

They truly were breaking trail.

Even the pink tinges in the sky followed by the overshadow of the trees were more of a gateway to the end of paradise when JJ turned back, glanced at Leo and Guanghong, and the trio had to laugh through it all.

This was crazy.  _ Insane.  _ They could die out here, but that was the start of the thrill when the adrenaline seeped into their bones. True chatter,  _ for the first time in days since they arrived a week before to Alaska  for this documentary. _

They were here, and Alaska had some of the hardiest animals to show for the cameras. All that had to be traded was some grunt-work and a willingness to survive against the odds. After that, you were good as golden, but the test wasn’t over yet.

As JJ paddled across  _ Chilkoot Lake,  _ he envisioned his life as a bumbling grizzly, stumbling in for a great salmon feast. Would he be lumbering near the water’s edge, coming across a fresh, mangled kill in the grass? Sniffing the corpse before tearing into the bones and crushing into the calcium before moving onwards with hefty paws? Footprints etched into the mud and briny grass, in search of a next meal.

~~~~

“This is definitely a fresh bear kill,” JJ spoke into Leo’s camera, hunched down and hovering a tentative hand over a mangled fish. Leo zoomed out from the horror to capture the fear circling in JJ’s eyes.

JJ nearly prodded the corpse, but two fingers simply waved over it. “The bear has just eaten out the back of the salmon.” Curious fingers approached the bitemarks. Feeling the ridge of the salmon’s backbone with just bits of flesh hanging off like a finished orange-rind. Eyeballs missing in the front, gouged out by mighty claws upon further inspection.

Blood still on JJ’s fingers when he looked up, head swiveling back and forth. Observing the dense greenery for any sign of movement. Guanghong’s trembles didn’t help, but he kept quiet before shooting his own camera. Projecting the audience to an eerie view that looked the same from all directions, but easily a bear could just emerge and rip them to shreds if it felt provoked.

If there was one thing to prove that they were in bear-country, it was the leftover pieces of that salmon. A marked, kill-zone to be weary of.

~~~~

Or perhaps, what if JJ was blessed and born to see this wild place through the talons and eyes of an eagle? Perched up in the trees, soaring above the water’s view before reaching down. Talons outstretched to snatch a salmon from its rightful place. Another shadow gone from the ripples below.

~~~~

To be a bear or a bird would be awesome, JJ had to admit. No need to tug around equipment or kayaks if he was one with nature, but JJ just sat in his kayak. Eyes looking off into the distance with awe as he sat in a peaceful silence. The ripples down below tugging his water-vessel along.

_ “But today, I am a Human.” _

Guanghong’s ears perked up. He saw JJ nod to himself before picking up his paddle to row again.

~~~~~

On this adventure, JJ, Guanghong, and Leo were on a very special mission. They weren’t just out here for a documentary, though it was the original plan to begin with. A unanimous choice done months ago in Guanghong’s tiny garage in San Francisco.

A  _ similar  _ mission to that of a bear or eagle, as Guanghong and Leo’s blue kayak streamed through the eerily calm lake. Rowing parallel to JJ at this point when Guanghong and Leo switched, and Guanghong paddled while Leo shot footage through his Canon.

Their target was one in the same.

Somewhere under a festering fungi attached to red oak, a familiar shade of red and green emerged as a  _ Sockeye Salmon  _ sprung up from the watery depths. A majestic beast, wiggling through the water with his mate behind him. A  _ victorious  _ pair coming back to a familiar ground to unify their marriage and to die on the very same day if they had to.

~~~~

This was the last week of July, the height of the spawning season as literally  _ hundreds  _ or  _ thousands  _ of salmon sprung up from the oceanic depths, and JJ and his crew could’ve been rowing right above them for all they knew. But they weren’t looking for fish just yet, for you had to appreciate the journey before fingering down the destination. And with the majestic, Alaskan atmosphere and the sky clearing up, it was better to forge ahead than backtrack for a murky view.

_ Splish splash  _ of the paddles in the water before JJ spotted a curious silver trail up an approaching mountain.

JJ paused his rowing, peered back into Leo’s focused camera. “Okay, so do you see this water coming off the side of the mountain?”

Leo zoomed in to the trickling waterway, trickling past and under rocks like a spill.

“Where that stream meets the lake, the water will be incredibly clear. Perfect place to look for some salmon.” JJ gave his signature wink before turning around and rowing again.

Indeed, when they roped their kayaks onto the nearby trees and touched solid earth again, the water encompassed around them was clear enough to see the red, white, and gray rocks underneath.

But not a band of red and green was anywhere to be found, but this wasn’t the time to be discouraged. Not yet, not with a hike ahead of them and JJ was too excited. Jumping up and down when the camera wasn’t pointing at him, so Guanghong kept a mini-one on JJ so that their host won’t do something incredibly stupid.

~~~~

A salmon wagged her tail, brushing aside the mud and sand while hovering over a single spot

_ It’s in these clear pockets of water where the females will build their nests. _

A view beside a tree as two salmon circled around each other, like the twin-fishes in the  _ Yin-Yang  _ piece. Head reaching for tail, tail slowing down for the head. A gentle merry-go-round for a breeding pair, in a secluded and safe spot to do so.

_ Here, they will lay their eggs just before a courting male arrives to fertilize them. _

A zoom in on a courting pair in a perpetual, ritualistic dance before both went their separate ways. Likely to never meet again. The flop of a dorsal fin when the male emerged to snap his jaws before submerging again.

~~~~

The downpour got heavier. The thought of searching for salmon in a rainstorm was about as crazy as this adventure had gone, but the documentary-crew wasn’t going to give-up. Not yet. However, the cameras needed to be protected, so Leo held out plastic bags for Guanghong to stuff the cameras into to keep them safe and dry. A little funny to look at but hey, they weren’t going to ruin thousands of dollars for nothing. If they could help it.

~~~~

_ Chilkoot Lake spans just over three and half miles in length. And likely, there were probably thousands of salmon beneath the surface. Finding a fish was going to be difficult. _

Even if JJ whispered, “Here, fishy-fishy” underneath his breath when he looked between unraveled roots, trying to spot a fin or a gleam of red and green. Just beyond the view that he could make out.

_ Most of the water was murky, so our best bet to finding fish was to scan near the banks. _

Something that Guanghong and Leo  _ had  _ been doing all-along as their intrepid leader called out to the water randomly, hoping that the salmon could understand his English. Leo refrained from rolling his eyes, and Guanghong poked through the murky depths with a fallen tree limb. Hoping to flush any hiding salmon out from tangling roots and underwater crevices that he couldn’t see.

_ Searching for crystal-clear, glacier water pouring down from the mountain. _

There job would’ve been a bit easier if they had actually parked near the silver stream JJ had noticed earlier, but Life wasn’t easy so they had to imitate that for the documentary. Even if it sucked the enthusiasm out of them for the time-being but hey, they weren’t a reality TV-show.

_ “See any salmon?”  _ Leo asked when JJ parked himself under a bramble of tree limbs, so close to the water’s edge.

“Nothing.” JJ smacked his head against a branch, but his trusty hat cushioned the blow as he scurried back onto higher land.

Leo hissed as he followed JJ, twigs stabbing into his hair and scratching his scalp as civilization left them behind, in search for a more  _ intelligent  _ group than the bumbling idiots that tried to keep their composure. Despite everything.

Guanghong managed to smile for the three of them because he walked on a path that  _ most  _ would travel on.

They kept moving up the side of the mountain, looking for something better. A better pocket of water, better phone signal, and better weather. Fingers crossed for that last one.

Guanghong had his binoculars out, gripped between his gloved fingers before his eyes caught something. He pulled his binoculars up.

_ Suddenly, on the far side of the lake, there was the unmistakable cry of a Bald Eagle. _

A shrill echoed over their heads, captured across the lake. A swoop of the territorial raptor as it cleared across a great expanse, eyes tracking a shadow or multiple shadows far below from what the documentary crew could see.

_ There was one thing--and one thing, only--on the its mind. _

_ Fish. _

Down below in an idyllic blue, a trove of salmon swam up from the deep.

Guanghong immediately knew that if they followed the call of the bird, there was a good chance that it would lead them straight towards the salmon. Guanghong gestured for JJ and Leo to follow him, and they were soon on the run. Trudging over fallen logs and crumbled stone, following the echoing  _ caw  _ of a bird that Guanghong had just seen before it had disappeared in the trees.

“There are four eagles up in the tree right there.” Guanghong pointed and Leo zoomed.

Up on a decrepit tree with skinny limbs, a shadow of a bird stuck out like a bulbous seed. An almond-shape on a sickly branch, perched high above to see down below. Its partners unseen, but the issuing cries across the treetops spoke of more birds lurking in the Heavens.

Adrenaline at its peak.

The eagle had led them straight to the fish because in the cove nearby, there was crystal-clear water. With the unmistakable sound of a tail slap because of a trove of  _ Sockeye Salmon. _ About a hundred fish, tucked back into the cove.

“We found salmon!” JJ high-fived Leo and Guanghong. A whoop and cheer for all but now that they were here,  _ Phase Two  _ of the mission can now commence.

They still had to be careful, though. This was a prime spot for grizzlies to feast, and Mama Leroy did  _ not  _ want a phone call of her baby boy in the hospital because he was mauled. Along with his two friends-- _ Leo had objections to that because he and Guanghong weren’t going to get mauled in the first place, but JJ told him to be realistic. _

First, they needed set a base camp and strategize how on earth were they going to catch a fish.

~~~~

_ This was it. After hours of searching in the harsh Alaskan elements, we have finally found what appears to be nearly one hundred salmon. _

Sure enough, Leo and Guanghong captured the wiggling fish bodies with their camera lenses.

_ They were beautiful. _

Chunky bodies gliding up and down the serene water like underwater swans, an array of fins perked up to attract fleeting mates.

_ Their brilliant crimson bodies, slippery and streamline, as they darted back and forth beneath the surface. _

If anyone was attracted to the fish, it was JJ because he had his eyes on one of the biggest in the cove. A fish with a silvery hue upon its dorsal fin as it swam next to its flaky mate, a smaller male with brilliant cinnamon eyes. A Viktor-fish and a Yuuri-fish! They looked just like that documentary pair on  _ Planet Earth,  _ and JJ dubbed the salmon as such.

_ Excitement was in the air. _

JJ’s fingers inched towards the water, but Leo had to drag him back. They needed a plan! They were in bear-territory, despite the fallen undergrowth of logs and mossy branches.

A quick scout, made some noise, clapped their hands, and shouted into the void for any sign of a bear. Not a movement in the undergrowth. However, they weren’t just alerting bears. They were alerting any animal in the vicinity that Man was on the scene, and there was something sort of empowering about that.

However, JJ, Leo, and Guanghong knew their place in Nature’s hierarchy because anything and everything hiding in the woods was fair game against them.

They could die, but it’ll be on camera.

~~~~

_ Nothing’s more nerve-wracking than setting base camp in an area that’s heavily trafficked by bears. _

While Leo and Guanghong prepared the bigger equipment and got poles ready to station the heftier cameras, JJ quietly stalked around. Looking under logs and just listening for the slightest noises that didn’t come from his documentary crew.

Stealthily lurking through the forest was a safe bet to stay hidden from unruly competitors. On the way, JJ found scratched logs. Wood hinged off the main stump with bits of fur and claw-marks decorated along the sides. Typical bear signs, marking a territory that was rightfully theirs and JJ and his crew were mere trespassers that didn’t need to keep their guard up.

Near the edge of the land to the water was a pile of... _ You guessed it,  _ bear feces. Just a lump of it, piled up in all of its stinky glory. Fresh and when JJ hovered a hand over it, he felt the ungodly warmth radiate onto his hand.

Whoever left it behind wasn’t inconspicuous about it because they just dumped their load over a bed of clovers. A bunch of moist and dark  _ droppings  _ in a patch of greenery, a warning to all those who passed by.

~~~~

“That’s one big pile of  _ you-know-what,” _ JJ said, looking into Guanghong’s camera as Leo circled around with his camera. Capturing a three-sixty view of the  _ you-know-what. _

On his hands and knees, JJ pretended to be a bear. Lumbering off the soft earth, reaching to the edge of the water that hung nearby. Stared blankly into the clearness before lashing a hand out, smacking the still surface of the water. Pretending to wrestle a salmon onto land and chomp at it.

Animalistic in so many ways. At least JJ didn’t strip down for this.

“I’m going to use a net, not my claws.”

“Yeah, we’ll save that for an adult-audience,” Leo mumbled, shutting his camera off.

~~~~

When the camera rolled again, JJ had procured himself a big-ass net. A large scoop with a plastic, blue handle across his grasps.

“I think we’re getting pretty close to being ready.” Guanghong tipped his camera down to skim at their supplies before pointing his camera up to JJ.

“Probably have a seventy-percent chance of actually netting one of those fishes.” JJ puffed his chest out, confidently. Swinging his good arm for an impressive show for the camera.

“What’s your technique?”

“So basically, I’m going to try to work one of the fish into a corner. The closer it is to the shallows, the more it’ll be disorientated. And I think I’ll be able to--” JJ dropped into a low squat, dipped his net with a quick jerk “--scoop it up for the camera.”

JJ was aware of the overhangs around the cove, where the fish will dart and hide in groups. But if JJ remained cool, calm, and collected, scooping a fish there was going to be a piece of cake.

Again, he  _ did  _ say that he had a seventy-percent chance.

~~~~

_ This was it. Time to catch a salmon. _

_ We have been given special permission by Alaskan Fish and Game to use the primitive method of dip-netting to capture one of these fish. Typically, they’re caught using rod-and-reel; however, we want to put as little stress on the animal as possible and felt that using a net would ensure that the animal would be captured without harm. _

_ It wasn’t going to be easy, and we didn’t plan for it that way. _

_ ~~~~ _

JJ had his eyes on Viktor-fish. A proud, unassuming salmon near his mate. Never separated from Yuuri-fish and was easily the snappiest one in the cove. Whipping his tail back and forth to keep Yuuri-fish safe from the bigger salmon that darted into the lake. Teal eyes stared into JJ’s soul as he took a step into the frigid water.

_ I carefully stepped out. It sent chills up my spine. _

Water rushed into JJ’s boots, numbing his toes almost immediately. He gasped for air as his lungs tightened up, but he kept his cool as he slowly shuffled through the cove. Net in the water as shadows darted past and between him.

_ I had one shot at nailing a fish. _

Viktor-fish swam in circles around Yuuri-fish, leading his love into the safer corners of the cove when JJ got too close for comfort. JJ watched the couple, eyes never leaving Viktor-fish’s gaze. A haunted look that held a more frigid-glance than the Alaskan water, itself.

_ I was going to give this everything I had. _

JJ shuffled from foot to foot, following the intrepid duo of Viktor-fish and Yuuri-fish. Walking faster until he lunged forth, crashing into the water’s edge as the salmon slipped between his grasp and the net. Jumping over with a crack of their tail. Yuuri-fish flung into the air for a  _ Triple Toe Loop,  _ circling around before crashing into the water. Head first. Viktor-fish pulled a  _ Quadruple Flip,  _ soaring high like he was gifted with wings before JJ could have his way with the salmon. A smack to the face with a legendary tail before plopping back under the surface. Darting with his mate into the shadows of the cove.

JJ didn’t give up. He blocked the corners with his net and chased after the duo. Yuuri-fish tore to the left; Viktor-fish to the right. Meeting again after a complete circle before switching directions. Dizzying JJ, but he didn’t give up as he stabbed his net repeatedly into the water.

Drenched from head to the cuffs on his jacket. Cold, shivering, and out of breath. He wasn’t going to let these salmon outsmart him. His eyes followed Yuuri-fish, the slowest in the duo. JJ marched forward, cornering Yuuri-fish’s escape routes. Viktor-fish propelled himself forward, but he couldn’t reach his mate. Yuuri-fish stood still, letting the ominous ripples drift him back into the darkness underneath a fallen log, but JJ was quicker. Stabbed his net into that shallow with a swift jerk. Digging his net in repeatedly while Viktor-fish slapped between his ankles and tugged at the net. Trying to peel back an opening for Yuuri-fish to slip through.

“Got one! I got Yuuri-fish!” JJ lifted his net up. The squirming, floppy body of Yuuri-fish nearly strangled the beast to death, freaking Viktor-fish out. JJ controlled the situation by pulling the net holes off of Yuuri-fish’s fins and tail. Coaxed the salmon to relax as Leo and Guanghong brought their cameras closer.

At the sight of the cameras, Yuuri-fish thrashed every inch of his life. Viktor-fish tried to leap up and smack Yuuri-fish out, but the endeavor was in vain. It only agitated Yuuri-fish’s anxiety until the poor beast had to slow down, his thumping heart about to rip through his flesh.

When Yuuri-fish began to calm down, JJ waded closer to the shallows and dipped the salmon into the water. Enough for Yuuri-fish to catch his breath before he was resurfaced for the cameras. Only when he was calm did JJ allow for Leo and Guanghong to come closer.

Viktor-fish lurked nearby.

~~~~

“I want to keep the fish as calm as I can,” JJ mumbled, dipping Yuuri-fish into the water again. Keeping him hydrated, watching the fish swim back and forth in slow circles. Slowly calming himself down before JJ lifted him up again. A generous swish of the tail to kick up some water but other than that, Yuuri-fish had finally calmed down. Though, he wasn’t going to poke his head through the net-holes again.

“Okay, the capture was far from perfect, but Yuuri-fish is under control in a safe and handleable situation.” JJ spoke more to himself than to the audience behind a camera’s lens. “I had to separate Yuuri-fish from his Viktor-fish, but it won’t be for too long, bless your thumping heart.”

JJ slowly lifted the net, and Yuuri-fish was perfectly calm. The smear of white under his black-lined jaw rested against the net. His cinnamon eyes peered through the net-holes as a faded band of green rested over the crest of his skull. The plumish of his red body faded, hints of gray splattered across the smooth underbelly of his body.

Yuuri-fish had an attractive charm, no wonder Viktor-fish was so protective.

“That’s a beautiful salmon,” Guanghong commented, coming in for a closer shot. Yuuri’s mouth parted, almost like a smile. The hooked beak at the end of his upper jaw was a sinister feature.

Crouched into the water, JJ reached a hand into the net and lifted Yuuri-fish up. First, petting the dorsal fin on top, smoothing it over like hair before a generous hand supported Yuuri-fish’s tail and another supported the base of the head. Yuuri-fish’s lower jaw flopped up and down as JJ cradled the creature in his arms.

A break in the clouds glistened the surface of Yuuri-fish’s skin. Exaggerating the green and red hues baked across the flesh. Highlighting the gray and torn areas along the base of his tail, but Yuuri-fish was alive. Fluttering his fins around. Not for cuteness but to display his strength because his tail was secured.

Yuuri-fish didn’t feel scaly. But jetline, smooth as a dollar-whistle under JJ’s fingers when he stroked the salmon’s back. It was hard to hold onto Yuuri-fish, so JJ would always dip the salmon back into the water. Inside the net, of course. In case Yuuri-fish gathered enough strength for a sprint.

Before Yuuri-fish could go, the documentary crew needed to get his biometrics. Weight and length. JJ pulled a measuring tape from his pocket, placing one end at the tip of Yuuri-fish’s snout and the other end at the tail. A two-foot giant right in JJ’s hold. A hefty boy, despite being much smaller than Viktor-fish.

Now for the weight.

A hook placed near the base of Yuuri-fish’s jaw, and the salmon weighed about nine pounds. A good-sized, healthy salmon. JJ dipped Yuuri-fish back into the water, being as gentle as he possible. Working in almost complete silence while Viktor-fish flapped his tailfin in the background. Poking his head up from a few yards away.

“Now, Yuuri-fish is at the end of his life-cycle. Look at his tail.”

Near the rump of Yuuri-fish’s tail, scales had already begun to flake off. A lighter coloration compared to the rest of his dark body. Stripped of a distinct, rosy color. A worse coloration than his mate, Viktor-fish.

“As these fish move upstream, they actually begin to deteriorate. Until there’s nothing left but a memory...” JJ’s voice trailed off.

No wonder Viktor-fish was so protective. All he would have left was a mere memory before he,  _ too, _ will soon wilt away.

~~~~

_ As Yuuri-fish swam away from my fingers and reunited with his mate, I found myself swelled with emotions. A wave of happiness blanketed my being because our mission was an incredible success. _

_ A part of me felt sorrow, knowing that the beautiful couple and the rest of their brethren were at the end of their lives. My heart was overflowed with gratitude because the universe had allowed me--us, really--to spend time with these brave, traveled souls before they fulfill their purpose in life. _

_ As Yuuri-fish and Viktor-fish slowly disappeared into the depths, I knew this was a moment in my life that I would never forget. _

 

**Author's Note:**

> wanna chat or send in story prompts? @joey-wingster on tumblr  
> Wanna mess with Noc? @silencedfalcon


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